In the recent past, gaming machines have become increasingly sophisticated. The once traditional mechanically-driven reel slot machines are often replaced with electronic counterparts having computer driven games with spinning reel display devices, CRT video displays or the like. Moreover, these electronic gaming advancements enable the operation of more complex gambling games which would not otherwise be possible on mechanical-driven gambling machines. Such stand alone electronic games include spinning reel games, Slot, Keno, Blackjack, Poker, Pai Gow, video spinning reel games and all the variations thereof.
More recently, multiple game platforms have been developed which provide access to multiple electronic games through a single stand alone gaming machine. A game selection menu may be provided on a video display which offers the patron the choice of at least two electronic games. The gaming patron, thus, may select a game of their choice without having to search the gaming establishment for the location of a desired game.
These games are usually stored in Erasable, Programmable, Read-Only Memory (EPROM) chip sets which are then incorporated into compatible gaming machines for operation thereof. Depending upon the licensing scheme negotiated between the machine manufacturer or game vendor and the gaming operator, any combination of selected video games may be licensed by the gaming operator. A number of free conventional games may also be bundled together with the licensed games on the EPROM chip set to offer a larger variety or package of games to the gaming operator and their patrons.
One problem associated with this design, however, is that depending upon the negotiated selected games, a separate EPROM set must be provided in each instance. For example, if the licensed games included were Blackjack, Poker and Keno, a specific EPROM set would be necessary incorporating only those three games. Should the gaming operator desire only Blackjack and Poker, another EPROM set is required which excluded Keno, etc.
In addition, each gaming alteration requires an EPROM chip set installment. This disincentive to alter the number of offered games also results in gaming machine downtime, as well as higher operating costs for the gaming operator and the risk of damaging EPROMS during removal or installation. The costs for the machine manufacturer or game vendor are also increased since they must supply several different EPROM chip sets having different combinations of games.
In contrast, if only one gaming EPROM were provided which contained a full set of games accessible by the gaming operator, the manufacturer or game vendor would have no means of controlling which games the gaming operator accessed or made available to their patrons. In this arrangement, an unlicensed game would be just as accessible as a licensed game.
Another problem associated with the EPROM chip set technology is that the EPROMs are easily copied. Any gaming operator could have the EPROMs reproduced and subsequently inserted into other compatible machines. Such reproductions are also difficult to control, and thus cause substantial loss of revenue to the manufacturer or licensor.
This is a serious concern for gaming machine manufacturers and gaming vendors alike. Accordingly, in view of the above observations, it would be desirable to provide a multiple game platform gaming machine which can easily enable the gaming machine manufacturer or vendor to control the licensing of the selected games. In addition, it would be desirable to reduce the costliness and inconvenience of providing a multitude of EPROM chip sets having differing combinations of accessible games.